WASHINGTON — U.S. officials should consider banning flavored e-cigarettes to protect teenagers, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a congressional hearing Tuesday.
"We are extremely concerned about flavors and the role that they play in hooking young people to a life of nicotine, and we really want to avoid another generation being addicted to nicotine, so addressing flavors directly is a good idea," said Schuchat.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee's panel on consumer products is hearing from doctors and at least one parent affected by a mysterious lung disease that has sickened at least 530 people and killed at least nine.
Health officials have tied the illness to vaping, although they are still trying to identify the exact cause.
Also Tuesday, the Times of Israel reported that Israel's Ministry of Health is imposing an immediate ban on the sales of oil-based flavored vaping pods. China on Tuesday said it would also place new restrictions on e-cigarettes.
— CNBC's Elijah Shama contributed to this report from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey